<p>My family’s contract with Cingular ends today, and I was charged with finding and ordering the new plan we’re getting from Verizon. Normally this is no big deal; I go online, I find phones I like, I pick a number of minutes, add a few a la carte services and poof, the phones are in the mail.</p>
<p>Things get much more sticky because of my dad’s requirements. He’s a consultant and he travels internationally frequently – he’s often out of the country for more than 9 months of the year – and he makes USA-to-Out-of-Country calls, OOC-to-USA calls, and OOC-to-OOC calls. The problem with this is he’s not in, say, London or Beijing. He doesn’t stay in one place the whole time. He’ll spend a couple of weeks in Dubai, then a few in Taipei, and then he’ll fly on over to Singapore for a month, and then be in Toronto. Sometimes he ends up in fairly obscure places, but usually he’s near a big city. Buying cell services wherever he is is just not feasible because he never knows how long he’ll be there. He has considered the local SIM card pay-per-minute, but I don’t know anything about it and neither does he. (Any info there?)</p>
<p>Verizon people (who really don’t know anything about international phone services they offer) told me there are three phones they have that are international capable (that is, GSM-CDMA). The Samsung A795, the Motorola A840 and the Samsung i830. However, each of these requires an in-store order, which I really don’t want to do for service because it seems really silly to pay $60-per-line to activate them when I could mostly do it online for free.</p>
<p>So here’s the question: how do unlocked phones work? Is it necessary to buy a phone through Verizon? My dad doesn’t really need a PDA-phone – he’s had them, and he was actually looking at getting a RAZR this time – but he does kind of want one with a keyboard because he hates how text messaging works on regular phones. Is there a phone we could buy that would work with Verizon networks, be GSM-CDMA capable, and not necessarily come from Verizon itself?</p>
<p>I would suggest getting an unlocked quad-mode GSM phone (the RAZR is one). Quad mode phones will work almost anywhere in the world. Then check online for SIM cards for various countries, or plan on buying prepaid sims locally in-country. </p>
<p>I tried various things internationally and they all work fine. BUT, you have to watch prices. With many cards, incoming international calls are free and local calls are reasonable. The best and easiest way to do this is to rent phones - where available - in the country you are traveling to. Renting in the US is expensive.</p>
<p>And, one thing that you may want to look into. Your long-distance provider may have a plan (that you pay a montly fee for) that allows you to dial internationally at much, much lower rates. Please beware dialling internationally if you are not on a plan like this. When my wife went to NZ and I was in the states, I paid approx $10/month for MCI’s “international plan.” I could call her cell phone in NZ for a very low per-minute rate and it was free on her end. I was able to call her 5 or 6 times a day without having the phone bill go through the roof.</p>
<p>I have bought lots of cel phones…our family seems to wash them, lose them, etc. I now always buy unlocked phones from ebay or another online source…then you get a Verizon or whatever sim card and drop it in. the RAZR does not have a great keyboard for text messaging by the way… when we have travelled out of country, I have been able to call the cel phone carrier-in our case Cingular-and add an international plan. You pay an extra monthly fee and you have international service…just as digmedia said, it is the best rate for international.</p>
<p>If he always has high speed service, you could try the Vonage V-phone, VOIP phone service which plugs into the USB port of your computer. I am not sure of the rates to the specific countries, but the base plan is $24.99 unlimited USA/Canada plus they have added other “free” countries</p>
<p>When we went to multiple european countries on vacation, we bought a cell phone from mobal. I think it was $99 and came with a sim card that is good in multiple countries. I think you may be able to buy only the sim cards for them. THere is no activation fee. You only pay by minute when you use it. Not sure how much you will be using the phone. For us it was OK since we weren’t going to have heavy usage. It was cheaper or the same as renting for 2 weeks. The website is mobal.com</p>
<p>Seconding Dig’s advice, but with a HUGE caveat … that means no Verizon. </p>
<p>Unless I am mistaken, the Verizon telephones used commonly in the US are NOT compatible with the international GSM service. That is why you cannot use unlocked phones on the Verizon network, and that is why phones such as the MotoRazr are totall crippled on Verizon Wireless. Verizon has great coverage but forget the SIM cards! Their global telephones are very expensive. </p>
<p>In the case of your father, it would be a HUGE mistake looking at Verizon for a solution for HIS problem. He should buy an unlocked tri or quad phone and learn to switch SIM in every country he travels to.</p>
<p>For an international VOIP, why go to a US company such as Vonage when there is Skype? When it gets to telephony, one ought to wonder if the US is not in the Third World.</p>
<p>I’ve become a big fan of Skype - which is VOIP. Assuming he’s traveling with a wireless laptop and you have a wireless one at home, he just brings a portable headset with him and dials home…for free. Both computers have to download skype (which is free) and literally all you need to do then is plug in your headset and you can dial. You can also use skype to dial from a computer to a home phone for very little money. My sweetie travels internationally all the time and we skype a lot. Big fan here.</p>
<p>Cingular and T-Mobile both are GSM networks and thus are compatible in Europe. Verizon isn’t a GSM network but they do have a few dual-network phones that work on their CDMA network but can be switched to GSM mode when in Europe or other areas with GSM. The last time I checked, these tended to be the more expensive ones. Sprint isn’t GSM either.</p>
<p>echoing lkf725 – why leave Cingular? Cingular has gotten our family reliably through my daughter’s semester in Russia, her trip to China, and my trip to western Europe, and just about any unlocked international GSM phone will do.</p>
<p>Why we’re leaving Cingular: We were AT&T customers that got absorbed. Cingular treated us VERY badly during our entire contract because we never upgraded our devices (which would have required contract renewal) to Cingular ones. Additionally, my calls frequently get dropped with Cingular, but I have yet to have a problem using the Verizon phone I have been borrowing for the past couple months. Plus I’m moving up to Berkeley, and Verizon works equally well where I am now as it will when I move up there (again, in my experience, which is what’s most important to me anyway). Also, since I’m the one that uses most of the minutes, IN works REALLY well as many of my friends are also on Verizon.</p>
<p>I realize that Cingular has better international support, but my dad was hoping that there would be a way to put all three of us on a family share plan so that monthly costs would be cheaper, and then he’d just pay the per-minutes when he goes internationally. Verizon gave us the quotes on the CDMA/GSM capable phones, and while they are definitely more expensive than their CDMA-only counterparts, they’re not unreasonably higher than what my dad tends to pay for his phones anyway.</p>
<p>The international calling is NOT just so he can stay in contact with the family. The international cell phone is because he conducts business overseas occasionally and needs to be reachable all the time, no matter where he is. That is the major problem with the SIM cards as far as I’m aware; each one gets a new phone number, local to whatever local network it was purchased for (did I understand that right?). I don’t think VoIP would work very well with that, and though Skype would work just fine for calls home we usually just settle for email/instant messaging.</p>
<p>Because Cingular is GSM, you don’t need to change SIM cards overseas – the phone works wherever there is GSM service, which pretty much seems to be all over. The only reason to switch to a SIM card with a different number would be to save costs for making local calls in the country where you are traveling. But there generally is no extra charge for text messaging no matter where the call is being made – so when my daughter has been overseas we’ve relied mostly on text messaging rather than voice mail. </p>
<p>If you are switching to Verizon, I hope you have checked service in Berkeley. My brother moved to Oakland recently, and signed up for Verizon - however, he could never get service at his house. After a month he gave up – and Verizon now wants to charge him $300 for early termination of their contract … even though his reason for termination is that he couldn’t get service. He’s switched to Cingular now. </p>
<p>I don’t want this to sound like an ad for Cingular. I do know that the reason that Cingular would want you to upgrade is that their service network is geared for the newer phones. That also may be why your calls were dropped – I don’t know the technical details, but basically your problem is that the older phones you have aren’t compatible with most of the network. If your dad wants to be reachable wherever he travels, then he really needs to have a device with current technology anyway – or else he’s just going to run into problems with any provider.</p>
<p>We were also old ATT customers who got absorbed by cingular. Towards the end of our ATT phone usage, the service availability got worse and worse. I later found that this was because the old tower system was becoming obsolete and they were concentrating on the new GSM system. Once we upgraded our phones, we have had seamless service. Never a dropped call. Service inside building basements and in remote areas were we never could get service on verizon’s best day. </p>
<p>Yes, cingular’s customer service leaves much to be desired. But so does the customer service of other phone companies. I have found it helpful to either keep going up the chain of command on phone calls (“may I speak to your supervisor?”) or have the manager of your brick and morter cingular store solve the problem for you (worked great). Cingular has two or three major customer service centers, I believe, and some are better than others. The folks at the one in the south (Georgia, I think) were polite but totally useless. The folks at the center in the northeast were much better. </p>
<p>Another thing I would check on is availability of service abroad. If you are travelling, does Cingular or Verizon have sales and service centers there? What if you get your phone wet or if the battery dies, or w/e…can you easily get the problem fixed abroad? Just a thought.</p>
<p>We are also former AT&T now Cingular customers. But happy ones. I didn’t switch over at first because my AT&T corporate rate was better than any plan I could get at Cingular. Eventually, we had some reason to make the change. The Cingular rollover minutes REALLY work well for us. And you can always get some phone really cheap or free when you make these changes as long as you extend your contract.</p>
<p>Now my question: what is an “unlocked” “tri” or “quad-mode” phone? Maybe I have one and don’t know it. I have GSM and can use my phone in Mexico (Baja California).</p>
<p>I have gotten the Mexico rate plan but, with the cell as my primary/only phone, will want something better when I start to spend more time there. As the plan available to me so far is still 50cents/minute. Will get Skype too.</p>
<p>Jmmom, most companies have a North America plan. With the merger of ATT and Cingular, a good number of customer found themselves with a wonderful plan, which is no longer advertised as it was … so affordable. Verizon does have a North America plan and does work well, but only in the largest cities )Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and a few beach town like Cancun.) I know people who switch from a USA plan to a NAM plan when they spend more than a few weeks in Mexico. There is a about 20 dollars differences but there are fewer free WE and nights minutes.</p>
<p>As far as the international service, there are two distinct issues: (a) does the phone work, and (b) how much does it cost to operate. That is where a phone that accepts SIM cards shines. </p>
<p>BTW, here’s the line-up of verizon global phones</p>
<p>jmmom – an “unlocked” phone is one that can work with a SIM card without being specially set or programmed to recognize it. GSM service outside the US is at a different frequency, so a tri- or quad-band phone is one that can work at all frequencies. The newer phones can automatically detect the appropriate frequencies - so basically you can just pop the SIM card in and the phone is good to go.</p>
<p>When my daughter went to Russia I bought an unlocked triband for her on eBay - when I went to Europe a few months later, I bought a second one for myself. At that time the international phones were kind of pricey, so it made sense. Since then the international phones have become more common, so my daughter now uses one that she got via Cingular when the contract came up for renewal.</p>
<p>I do not know about Skype, but on Vonage, you have all the voicemail, call forward, simul-ring type features. For insrance when I travel outside my home area, I have Vonage simul ring my cell, but the vm messages goes to my Vonage voicemail, which is emailed to my computer. SO, I can see the number of the person who called and know if I need to get to another phone, I can go online and retreive the voicemail, or I can choose to pay the roaming charge and answer it.</p>
<p>I have found Cingular customer service to be excellent in terms of taking care of the issue, eventually. It takes longer than it should or can be annoying, but I always have reached excellent supervisors who seem able to take care of most issues.</p>
<p>Xig- the Cingular NAM plan is no longer offered, my DD has it and loves it, though many fewer night/weekend minutes and no texting package available!</p>
<p>Final solution: my dad is getting a low-minute national plan on T-Mobile and my mom and I are getting a Family SharePlan on Verizon.</p>
<p>Now everyone’s happy, at least until those cons start coming into play. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for your help! I would recommend posting as much as you know, especially anecdotally, about international cell service if you read this thread; it’s remarkably difficult to find personal experience stories.</p>
<p>“Xig- the Cingular NAM plan is no longer offered, my DD has it and loves it, though many fewer night/weekend minutes and no texting package available!”</p>
<p>Yes, and in addition, I’ve heard that Cingular has already alerted users with the NAM plan that they won’t extend the contract past the original term. I am not too sure how they would do that, but one way is to not let users upgrade equipment. :(</p>
<p>T-mobile should be fine for international calls, as it is the one other major US provider of GSM service besides Cingular/ATT. </p>
<p>GSM coverage is excellent worldwide – but you can pick up unexpected roaming charges internationally, depending on what local service is handling the connection. I don’t think this has anything to do with the service provider you choose – these charges probably come from the foreign network. You do need to be sure to choose an appropriate calling plan with your own service – there are all sorts of different options involved, so of course an international traveler would want one that charged the least for international calls. The plans keep on changing, so there isn’t one in particular to recommend – it really depends mostly on individual usage plans.</p>
<p>I think it was a good idea for your dad to get a separate plan, as his phone use is for business – that will make it easier in the long run for him to keep track of business expenses for his accounting records or to get reimbursement from his company or clients, anyway.</p>